A Form of Leverage
by TheJaggedCrown
Summary: Danny and his class are stuck on a field trip to the mayor's office. This doesn't go well when Danny can't go ghost and Plasmius takes advantage of that situation, capturing not only Danny, but also the A-listers, Lancer, Sam and Tucker, and even Danny's parents. Will Phantom remain a secret? Rating may change, I'm really not sure right now.
1. Prologue

**Hey there everyone! This is my first fanfic, please do review! I have no idea if this story will turn out as good as it seems in my head, or just turn to crap. Well, we'll see! Thanks for reading! :D  
**

* * *

A groan received the attention of Sam Manson and Tucker Foley. It was their mutual friend, Danny, son of the (in)famous Fenton ghost hunters.

"Dude, what's wrong?" The techno geek asked his friend.

"Skulker and Technus kept me up all night with their dumb hunting and world domination plans. I got like, an hour of sleep." Danny sighed as the three reluctantly followed their classmates and teacher from the bus.

Sam gave an annoyed groan as well, mimicking Danny's tired stance. "Not to mention us being forced into our 'beloved' mayor's house on a field trip."

"Yeah, that pretty much makes this one of the worst days of my life." Danny let out one last sigh as the three crossed the threshold into the mayor's mansion (that one in Amity Park).

A secretary spoke with Mr. Lancer, smiling and addressing the entirety of the group. "Alright everyone, we're going to start the tour now! Stay together and don't touch anything."

A few more grumbles were vaguely heard as students reluctantly followed their teacher and the secretary. They entered an office of sorts, eyes immediately draw to the formally dressed man behind the desk. He looked up, a smug smile crossing his lips as he stood, hands falling properly behind his back.

"Hello, students." His smirk took on an ominous tone as he made eye contact with the young halfa.

"Mayor Masters!" The secretary called out jovially.

Danny growled. "Vlad."

The pompous mayor looked over to his secretary with his ever-constant smirk. "Where are you off to tour next?"

The secretary continued on with her conversation with the mayor as the trio in the back fell into a separate conversation.

"_This_ is why I hate field trips." Danny grimaced.

Tucker nodded. "And the mayor."

"And people." Sam finished off groaning at the perky secretary as she beamed in all her pink glory.

Eventually the secretary and Vlad's conversation ended, and the tour proceeded. The group walked into a foyer, mostly ignoring the comments made by their guide. Vlad followed close behind Danny, Sam, and Tucker, watching them in amusement.

Danny gave a nervous glance over his shoulder, uncomfortable with not having his arch enemy within sight. The older halfa sneered down at him as if there was a joke unbeknownst to the fourteen year old boy. Tucker and Sam continued by their friend's side, feeling the same way with each peek back at the older man.

"This is the hall where we keep our artifacts from the previous mayors!" The secretary posed, seemingly too excited.

A few discreet moans slipped through the class of students, inviting a glare from their teacher. Again, Danny looked nervously behind him, eyes narrowing.

"Where'd he go?" Danny whispered, immediately catching the attention of his friends.

Tucker glanced around the room, searching for the halfa. "Dude, we are so going to be using the thermos today."

Danny grunted, frantically looking for Vlad. "Why does he have to cause so much trouble?"

"Mr. Fenton," Lancer's voice halted the boy's search and reigned in the attention of the other students, "is there something you and your friends would like to share with the class?"

Sam wrapped an arm around Danny's shoulders in an attempt to look casual. "We were just admiring the…lovely vase over here!"

Mr. Lancer narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "The vase…"

Tucker nodded nervously. "It's really, um, cool? To see it firsthand?"

"I see." The overweight teacher turned back to the tour, a few snickers trickling from the students.

Danny resumed his search, but this time specifically under his teacher's radar. "Do you think he's gonna attack?"

"I don't know." Sam gave another glance to where Vlad _had_ been. "For now let's keep an eye out."

Tucker pressed a few buttons mindlessly on his PDA before turning back to his friends. "Yeah at least your ghost sense hasn't gone off!"

Sam glared at Tucker ominously. "Don't say that! You jinx everything!"

A fine wisp of blue light slipped from Danny's lips, bringing two angry glares down on Tucker. He held his hands up in defense as Danny looked about for an escape route to transform.

Mr. Lancer swiveled around to face the trio as the other students proceeded onward to the next room. "Miss Manson, Mr. Foley, _Mr. Fenton_, we are continuing the tour, come along."

Danny internally panicked. Lancer as keeping him on a short leash, one that wasn't allowing any leeway to transform into Danny Phantom. Sam and Tucker ushered Danny along as if it was only normal. The students were led into the waiting room and another one of the secretary's speeches commenced.

The room fell a few degrees as the occasional complaint escaped the lips of Danny's classmates. A maniacal laugh echoed off the walls, frightening all but the trio.

Danny glanced around, hoping that he could slip away quick enough to transform without being spotted. The previously invisible ghost appeared, hovering near the ceiling as he grinned down at the terrified humans.

"Plasmius." Danny hissed as Vlad glanced around the now screaming students.

The older halfa chuckled, waiting for something unknown to the hectic crowd below.

Suddenly, one of the walls burst inward and a woman in a teal jumpsuit and a man in an orange jumpsuit leapt through, guns aimed.

"Freeze, Wisconsin ghost!" The woman yelled as her husband aimed the Fenton bazooka.

"Scratch that," Danny growled angrily, "today is _the_ worst day of my life."


	2. Time For a Plan

Danny glanced around the room nervously, if only he could find a way to slip out and transform! Above them, Plasmius directed an ectoblast to the wall near the two newcomers. When it shattered a vase, a few of the girls, most likely Paulina and Star, squealed frantically, immediately shutting up when they received a glare from Vlad.

"Silence, you brats!" He shot a glance to Danny, then back to the two ghost hunters. "Now, I would suggest you all put your weapons down and take a seat. I have things to do, and I'm not exactly in the mood for a hassle."

No one dared to move.

"Let me make this clear-put all ghost hunting weapons and devices on the floor in front of me, and you can prevent say, five deaths." He smirked as Jack and Maddie tensed, reluctantly lowering their guns.

Danny's parents gingerly threw their weapons in a pile and joined the group, glaring at "the Wisconsin Ghost". Vlad turned his gaze to Valerie.

"That goes for you too, Red Huntress." Valerie flinched, looking at her classmates nervously as she unloaded her gear. "And you, Daniel."

Danny shot his head up, surprised from his search for an escape. "I-I'm sorry, what?"

Vlad sighed tiredly. "The Fenton thermos. I know you have one, so just toss it in the pile. Don't forget your friends' little devices as well. Wouldn't want them trying to shoot me behind my back."

The class gawked at the three as they tossed their few hidden weapons in the pile.

"Fentina knows how to use a gun?" Dash stared at Danny in shock, eliciting another of Vlad's angry stares.

Maddie gave her son an incredulous look as he sheepishly moved to him and his friend's spot at the back. She would be talking to him about this later.

"Where's V-Man!?" Jack yelled at the ghost. "You better not have hurt him!"

Plasmius sighed again, actually growing sick of the action after today. "It doesn't matter, you fool!"

Danny new that with that lack of chaos, he had no way of slipping out of there undetected, which left only one option. His hand shot in the air and received a quizzical look from Vlad. "May I go to the bathroom?"

"Leave it to Fentoad." Dash groaned as a few of the hostages dared a look at Vlad.

"Why _on Earth_ would I let you do that?" Vlad crossed his arms over his chest, staring with scrutiny at the black-haired boy.

Danny shrugged. "Worth a try," he mumbled.

With one last sigh, Vlad removed a pink orb-shaped device and through it into the small crowd of students. For a moment, everyone just stared at it curiously, not even Maddie or Jack knew what the device was. It clicked and a thick pink mist billowed out from its countless holes. Screams erupted from the people and were quickly muffled.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Danny leapt into his battle stance. Before he could yell "going ghost", Sam and Tucker swayed, mumbling. They fell to the ground, just like the others as Danny realized the pink gas was some form of chloroform. He made this revelation too late though, catching the scent and becoming dizzy as he fell to his hands and knees.

Vlad chuckled maniacally, watching as one by one they each fell to the ground, and finally, so did his rival, Daniel.

* * *

Scattered grunts of awakening stirred the remaining hostages, bringing the adults and Sam and Tucker from their sleep.

"What…" Mr. Lancer said, groggily rubbing his head, "happened?"

Sam looked around the windowless expanse they all resided in. The class was divided into smaller groups, each one in their own prison cell. The adults, only Maddie, Jack, and Lancer she noted, were together, not noticing the missing presence of their bubbly tour guide. The A-listers were in a cell, and there was another slightly large group of the other students in their own cell. Sam and Tucker were by themselves. Without Danny.

The two exchanged looks of worry as someone else realized this difference in their list of attendance.

"Danny?" Maddie asked, standing from where she sat in the cell across from Sam and Tucker. "Where's Danny?"

Jack and Mr. Lancer also stood, concern growing in their eyes. "Danny-boy isn't here?" Jack asked, glancing around in search of his son.

"Charles Dickens! Where has he gone!?" Lancer exclaimed as he looked over at Sam and Tucker who also seemed to be _out_-of-the-know as well.

"To the bathroom?" Dash answered sarcastically as he yawned.

Sam sent him a pointed glare. "So he just up and left from his cell like we aren't hostages, but house guests? Supposed I missed that when I noticed that our accommodations come with prison cells and brick walls."

A door slammed shut from somewhere down the corridor that separated the two sides of cells. Soft clacking from footsteps resounded from the same end, growing closer. The sound of scuffling caught Sam and Tucker's attention as they discerned the drag-like quality of the halting noise. A figure came into view, his blue skin glowing with the red gleam of his eyes. That wayward smirk remained on his lips as appeared fully, dragging an unconscious Danny behind him.

"Danny!" Maddie called out as she clenched the bars of her prison desperately.

"What have you done to my son, ghost!?" Jack hollered, his usually amusing demeanor gone.

Plasmius chuckled as he unlocked Sam and Tucker's cage. He tossed the limp boy to his friends, watching from the doorway of the cell as Danny stirred.

"Listen here, Daniel," Plasmius sneered, "I will be back for the _correct_ answer soon, so why don't you prepare yourself to join me. And if you won't," he raised a needle sadistically, "I'll just have to take this blood sample of yours and create a few more clones."

Danny scoffed as he glared up at the man. "All the clones you ever created either failed or rebelled against you, good luck with that."

The ghost growled at the boy as he turned and locked the door. "I'll be back soon. Oh, and I wouldn't try anything to risky, these cells are designed to prevent anything living," he slid his implicating gaze to Danny, "or _non-living_, from escaping." Plasmius strode down the hall, a low chuckle echoing throughout the basement prison.

"Danny, are you alright!?" Maddie asked frantically, panicking at the sight of his bloodied clothes and skin. "You're bleeding! What happened!?"

The young halfa stood and rubbed the back of his neck as he conjured a lie. "I tried to escape when he was throwing all of us in the cells, and we ended up in a fight." The truth was, that Plasmius had never brought him down here, he had taken him to a different area of the basement, and had tried to force him into submission. "I'm fine, really." He inwardly winced at the forming bruises, but covered it with a sheepish smile.

She sighed with relief, releasing the bars. "That's good to hear."

"Wait, that ghost said he's coming back!" Paulina squealed as she frantically looked around, eliciting the same reaction from the rest of the students.

"What are we going to do!?" Dash asked in a panic. "He'll come back and get us too!"

"Calm down!" Mr. Lancer hissed, waving his hand to quiet the rising chaos. "We'll think of something."

Maddie and Jack nodded, pulling the teacher into a circle to formulate a plan of escape as the trio across the hall did the same.

"Danny, what happened?" Sam asked, pulling out a small pack of Kleenex she kept on her for the very purpose of cleaning Danny's wounds, even if it barely helped.

He shook his head as he rolled up his sleeve to expose a small gash. "He brought me straight to his lab and told me to join him, and when I of course, said no, he attacked me. I suppose he got that blood sample while I was unconscious."

"You're right man; that guy _really_ needs a cat." Tucker joked, effectively lightening the mood.

"Either way," Sam started as she pulled out another clean swab, "we need to find a way out of here. I'm a little concerned about what Vlad has planned this time."

Danny gave a nod of agreement, pulling his sleeve back down as Sam emptied her insignificant pack. "When, he comes back, I could jump him while you two free the others."

Sam sighed in agitation. "Yeah, and you think you can hold him off long enough in your human form?"

The ghost boy frowned. "Right." He glanced back to the class, who seemed to still be distraught, but was hanging in there.

"Well, we have to think of something!" Tucker whispered as he sifted through his pockets, turning up empty-handed. "My PDA is gone!"


	3. Final Ultimatum

**(Sorry if any of you were about to read this when I took it down, I forgot my message here at the top, and it's important today)**

**Okay, so for the future, I' wondering what you guys think I should do with Vlad? I want to either keep the original personality Butch Hartman gave him, or i want to make him have a creepier (?) obsession with Danny. Which should I do? Normal or like a one-sided more than son/apprentice obsession? Feedback and opinions in the reviews please! ;)**

**Here's chapter 2, enjoy!**

* * *

Plasmius approached his captives, his eyes alight with pure pleasure and satisfaction in his success of cornering the young halfa. He had been preparing this plan for so long, since his last efforts had been squashed under the boy's silver boot nearly a year ago. He knew that after this, Danny would have no choice but to submit to him, succumbing to the terms and relinquishing everything.

As the white-clad ghost stepped into the torchlight of the room, he turned and stopped before the cell containing the boy and his closest friends. "Daniel," he mused mockingly, "time's up."

Danny stood from his seated conference, stepping closer to the bars and glaring into the man's sneering face. "Here, let me think of a synonym for 'no'…Not in hell, Plasmius."

Vlad glowered at the boy, shifting into plan B. "Why don't we discuss this upstairs, hm? I think I can come up with a way to persuade you."

The younger halfa paused, thinking up a quick plan. Despite the hour they had, Sam, Tucker, and Danny hadn't been able to come up with a plausible idea for escaping. He couldn't come up with a better plot than the original with the given time he had to respond to Plasmius' obvious ploy. "Alright. Why don't we discuss this over tea?" He smirked, knowing that this meeting wouldn't be anywhere near the upper floor, much less tea.

"Wonderful." Plasmius purred, removing the keys from his belt as the ghost boy caught a glimpse of the "Plasmius Maximus".

As the cell door was unlocked, Danny shifted his gaze subtly to Sam, who immediately realized what her friend was doing. He set foot into the hall, receiving a mixture of curious, worried, and downright shock glances. Plasmius began to push the door shut, underestimating his prisoner's intentions as the boy landed a rightward kick to his abdomen.

Vlad recoiled in surprise, dropping the keys as Sam scrambled to snatch them. Danny dropped into a crouch and launched himself at the older halfa as his attention fell on the female prisoner struggling to reach the keys just beyond her grasp. Plasmius blocked Danny's attacks, his eyes gleaming with anger.

"What did I tell you about resisting, _brat_!?" He hissed, grabbing his opponent's ankle as he attempted a roundhouse kick to the man's chest.

"Last I checked, I didn't need your permission to attack!" Danny growled, freeing his leg and ducking under the ghost's grasp to kick him in the back.

"Got 'em!" Sam yelled, pulling the keys up and shoving them into the lock of her and Tucker's cell door.

The lock clicked and she leapt out, dodging Danny and Vlad's fight to get to the adults' cell. Livid, Vlad whipped out the "Plasmius Maximus" from inside his cape where Danny was oblivious, and turned around thrusting it into the boy's chest and clicking the button.

Visible currents of red electricity tore across Danny's body, eliciting a scream of pain as he collapsed to the floor. Plasmius whipped around to Sam, who was trying to find the right key for the cell, and violently clutched her neck.

"Damn children! Always trying to tamper with my affairs!" He snarled, catching the key ring as it fell from her hands. Without another second to waste, he kicked Tucker in the chest, ceasing his efforts to free Sam and threw both of the fifteen-year-olds into confinement and locked the door.

He turned venomously on Danny, who let out a raspy cry of pain while grappling with unconsciousness. "My, My, Daniel. I thought you knew better than to revolt, especially when I have each of your weaknesses in my arsenal." His sadistic smirk widened into a frightening grin as the other students cowered in the back of their prison.

"What did you do to my son, monster!?" Maddie cried, clenching the metal bars as she mustered up a glare at the ghost.

"Silence, Maddie!" He growled, making Maddie recoil in surprise and fear as he sheathed his weapon. "Now, Daniel, this may look like my 'Plasmius Maximus', but this one's a special design. Not only does it have the same properties as the original, but it also has a lasting and…reoccurring effect."

Danny's face contorted in pain as he suddenly began writhing on the floor as if electricity had been shot through his body yet again.

"Danny!" Sam and Valerie called in horror, grasping at their bars desperately as they were forced to witness his torment.

With a final shudder, Danny fell unconscious, his parents and Mr. Lancer staring at him in horror as the faintest flicker of crimson voltage flashed along his body. Plasmius scooped the young halfa up, slinging him over a shoulder and walking into the dark hallway.

"Stop! What are you doing!?" Maddie cried hopelessly after their captor. "Bring my son back, you ghost!"

Sam and Tucker exchanged a glance of fear, one that wasn't missed by their friend's parents.

"What is going on here!?" Maddie demanded of them, using her motherly tone that snatched the two friends' attention instantly. "Why does that ghost know who you are, who Danny is, who I am?"

Tucker kept his mouth sealed shut, unsure of how to answer.

"You and your husband are infamous ghost hunters, so wouldn't a ghost know who you are?" Sam saved, her quick thinking rescuing the two like it has in the past. "And it would only make sense that he would know the other members of your family, along with their closest acquaintances, right?" Granted, it wasn't her best lie, but Sam knew it was the only thing she could come up with.

"I suppose…" Maddie looked down at the floor, her features twisting in thought, "But what does that ghost want with Danny?"

Sam stared back at the woman, her face expressionless. _That_ was one thing she couldn't think of a lie for.

* * *

Danny's eyes cracked open, only to close instantly. He could still feel the agonizing ache of the electric currents, their stinging touch frizzing throughout his body. He summed up the energy to reopen his eyes, glancing around only to find himself on a metal table in the center of Vlad's lab.

"Now that you're awake, Daniel, why don't we discuss your predicament civilly?" Plasmius smirked down from Danny's left, his hands placed formally behind his back as he sneered at the boy.

"What do you want, Plasmius!? This is getting really old!" The young halfa jeered, attempting to sit up as he found himself in restraints. "And let me go, you fruitloop!"

Vlad rose an eyebrow at the use of his childish nickname as he pulled a syringe from the table-the one that had Danny's blood in it. "I've realized, that threatening you with creating more clones wasn't the right thing to do," He crushed the needle in his palm, grinning as the boy's heterogeneous mixture of blood and ectoplasm seeped out of his fingers, "but instead, I would need to use something else against you."

Danny recovered from his shock at the man's behavior, his blue eyes lurching on the flaming red ones above him. "What the hell are you planning?"

The ghost grabbed a fistful of the boy's raven-like hair, wispy strands falling from his fingers as Danny clenched an eye shut in pain. "I have told you in the nicest ways possible, Daniel, to join me. And despite my tempting offers, you still deny me your apprenticeship!"

"I'm not going to join you, Vlad!" The ghost boy growled defiantly as he glared into his face.

"I think you will reconsider when I inform you of the repercussions." Plasmius' face twisted sadistically, his mind sifting through the details of his scheme.

Danny's brows lowered in confusion and worry as Vlad released his grip. "'Repercussions'?"

"Let me lay the situation out for you, dear boy." Vlad squared his shoulders as he circled around the table superiorly. "You, your parents, your friends, your teacher, and your classmates are locked away in my dungeon, id it not strike you as odd that I would go through the trouble of kidnapping them as well?"

Danny's stomach dropped, his shoulders tensing as he realized what this entire plight entailed.

"And now I will offer you a deal." He chuckled ominously, his gaze locking on the boy as he stopped beside him. "You will join me, no rebelling, no more being the 'ghost hero', and _no more returning to Amity Park_, and I will return your friends, family, and classmates to their homes without further harm."

The young half-ghost stared at the man in horror, how was he supposed to get out of this one? He had no tricks up his sleeve, let alone his powers! But if he tried to fight his way out of this one…Danny's eyes fell from Plasmius, dread clouding their sky-blue color.

"So, Daniel, shall I have a room prepared for you, or coffins for my prisoners?" Vlad said, his vicious amusement consuming his tone.

Danny slid his gaze back to the man's, features fixed in a despairing expression.

* * *

Valerie still liked Danny, despite breaking up with him. She had to focus on catching the ghost boy and exacting revenge on him for crumbling her and her father's life.

But she did like him.

That's why it terrified her to see him shocked to the point of unconsciousness and then carried away as if he was a dead body. In all the years she'd known him, Valerie never thought Danny Fenton was someone who could jump right out and fight someone, especially a ghost! He was always known as the wimpy kid who always ran, and never fought back, but here she is, just having witnessed that very same friend of hers as he assaulted a ghost and almost had the upper edge.

But he didn't get it. That ghost, 'The Wisconsin Ghost' or 'Plasmius', whichever it was, had still taken him out along with Sam and Tucker as they tried to save the rest of them.

Valerie glanced at Sam and Tucker, who were whispering inaudibly amongst themselves, sparing the occasional glance to the corridor Danny had been dragged down.

She turned her eyes to the adults as Mr. and Mrs. Fenton searched their suits for anything to use as a weapon. Mr. Lancer watched them with a raised brow, wondering what they hoped to find.

"What do you think the ghost is doing to Danny?" Paulina whispered, breaking the silence of their cell and catching the attention of the red huntress.

"Don't know," Kwan said, his eyes briefly flickering to the hallway, "what did he want with him anyways? His parents are the ghost hunters, not him."

Dash frowned as he straightened himself from where he sat in their circle. "Maybe he just wants to waste the loser 'cause he tried to escape?"

"Wait," Kwan stated, his brow furrowing, "don't you remember what he said? When he first dragged Danny in here? He said something like 'I'll be back for the correct answer'. What does that mean?"

Valerie couldn't explain why, but the contemplation of her usually stupid and vain classmates bothered her. Maybe it was because she felt irritated over not figuring it out herself, but from the looks of it, the group hadn't gotten any further than her. She sat down beside Kwan, his gaze lightening when he noticed her silently offer her help in the deduction.

"What do you think, Valerie?" He asked, hoping for information that they had missed.

She shook her head, not really wanting to relay her entire train of thought, and settled on a brief overview. "Obviously Danny and the ghost-'Plasmius' or something, know each other. And I get the distinct feeling that despite their familiarity, Danny doesn't like him in the least."

"His name's Plasmius?" Star asked in bewilderment. "How did you know that?"

Valerie let a faint hiss escape her lips at the slip up from when she had previously fought him and heard the ghost boy refer to the vampire-like entity by that name. "I heard Danny call him that…back at the Mayor's office." She covered, recalling Danny having said something upon the appearance of the ghost, though she hadn't been able to hear it.

"Really?" Dash jerked his head back, trying to remember what had happened, but only turning up with his immediate panic and girlish screaming at the sight of this "Plasmius".

They sat in silence for a moment, thinking everything over before it was interrupted by Valerie's spoken train of thought. "His parents recognized the ghost…but by a different name. Does that mean Danny and his parents know the ghost from different situations?"

Everyone stopped at that. Danny and his parents _had_ referred to the ghost differently, and both parties had had diverse views of their captor, Danny's being a more defensive and violent one.

"Was that really _Danny_?" Kwan asked, astonishment coating his voice as he slipped into retrospect at the thought of Danny fighting that ghost.

"Yeah," Dash interjected, nodding at the recollection of the fight that had ended so badly for their classmate, "he's such a wimpy loser, but he was fighting a ghost and didn't even look scared!"

Silence.

"Danny wasn't the only one who reacted that way when he saw the ghost…" Valerie started, glancing at the cell across the hall, "Sam and Tucker seemed to know him as well."

"Should we like, ask them then?" Paulina whined, wanting to move onto a more intriguing subject.

Everyone exchanged nods of agreement and stood, approaching their bars. Dash opened his mouth to call out the two losers, but was interrupted before he could start.

"Hello again, humans." Plasmius chuckled, stopping in the center of the corridor between Sam and Tucker's cell, and the adults' cell.

"You!" Jack hollered, breaking his relatively quiet streak over the hours.

Vlad sighed, visibly agitated by the man's presence.

Maddie shot to the door of their cell, clinging to the bars as she glared at the specter. "What have you done with Danny!? Where is he!?"

Sam and Tucker clung to their bars as well, surprised and disconcerted by his lack of appearance.

"What have you done to Danny!?" Sam cried, pulling herself close to the bars as she thrashed them.

The Wisconsin ghost sneered at them smugly, shooting a triumphant smirk in Sam and Tucker's direction. "_Daniel_ will be staying with me from now on."

Maddie and Jack's faces paled as they froze in terror. "H-He's…what?" Maddie stammered, unable to process what had just been said.

Sam gazed, wide-eyed at the hovering ghost, feeling her stomach drop as if she'd just gone upside down on a roller coaster. Tucker took in a shaky breath, his head feeling overwhelmingly light as he stared intensely at the floor in disbelief. How had he_ convinced _Danny to stay?

"As for the rest of you," Vlad withdrew a pink orb, identical to the one from before, and clicked it, throwing it towards the inmates, "enjoy your _flight_." He laughed as they choked, slipping into sedation.


	4. Submission to Reality

**Hello again, everybody! Here's the next chapter, I don't know if I'll be updating anytime soon cause I might be pretty busy. I'm trying to aim for a weekly update, but I'm working on a handful of other stories (including some possible DP fanfictions) and I switch around pretty often. Anyhow, here's chapter 3 or whatever the site wants to make it. Oh and guess what I forgot to slap on at the beginning?**

**I don't own Danny Phantom or the characters, I just played with them and made a story. Whoo! Got the point across? cool.**

* * *

Danny sat on his bed, his face void of emotion as he stared at the ground blankly. _It was for the best. It was the only way._ He thought, despair flooding into his sorrowful blue eyes. His numb gaze slid up to the window, the glass conveying the gray clouds as they summoned the plaintive showers of the evening.

He had just been brought to his "new room", a luxurious master-sized bedroom that rivaled a king's. Vlad immediately left him, not wasting any time before sending his friends, family, and classmates back to Amity Park. Danny knew they were safe, that was his job after all. He alone burdened the responsibilities of protecting the town, responsibilities that he found himself missing under the weighing thought of never returning.

Despite his misery at the task of being "the hero", Danny knew that a part of him always loved it, the rush that came from winning a fight, the desperate "thank you" after saving someone, and the warmth throughout his core after knowing that any injuries he obtained, any blood he shed, it was for the sake of another life.

And here he was, playing out another "heroic act" for the sake of others. He longed to return home and continue his life how it had been-with his ghost sense going off every hour, making him jump into a broom closet and transform to defeat the ghost in a matter of minutes with the usual conclusion of sucking the specter into the Fenton Thermos. The Fenton Thermos. Fenton. He was no longer Danny 'Fenton', was he?

Soft footsteps stopped outside the door and someone knocked, calling for Danny's attention. "Daniel?"

The young halfa said nothing, he simply stared out the window passively, allowing the man to enter. Vlad walked up to Danny, halting before him as the boy noted his human form.

"I've sent you little friends and family back to their homes." The older halfa smirked, pleased that he had finally gotten what he wanted.

Danny remained silent, slowly turning his gaze to the man's.

"Don't mope, dear boy. We'll be great together! The only _real_ halfas in existence working in time as team."

Danny stared at him solemnly for a moment, finally finding his voice that was hidden somewhere within his chest. "And how do you know I won't run away or turn on you?"

Vlad sighed through his smugly twisted lips. "Because, dear boy, I know where to find your friends, your family, and your classmates. _And all of Amity Park_. It only takes a snap of my fingers and one of the many ghosts at my disposal will do away with them and bring their defiled corpses to me as trophies."

"And if you did kill them, I'd still fight you."

The man chuckled devilishly. "But could you burden the guilt and grief of being the cause of their deaths?"

Danny's eyes fell, a flicker of anguish crossing them almost violently.

"Don't worry, Little Badger," Vlad slid his hand onto Danny's shoulder, a fortified presence implying the absence of escape, "you made the _right_ decision." A frigid chill ran up Danny's spine, clinging at his neck.

* * *

Dash Baxter considered himself great; he always knew he'd become someone important and famous in the sports industry, but what he didn't know, was that he would one day end up in a ghost's prison with his other classmates, the trio of losers, and one of said losers' parents. He truly hadn't seen that one coming, none of them had.

Then again, it seemed no one had seen loser Fenton leaping at a ghost like a badass either. Fentina was failing gym class more than any of his classes, yet he had turned around and fought an armed ghost with a winning chance! What the hell was up with this kid?

Dash groaned, wondering why he was thinking about Fenton, and why it was so dark.

"Where am I?" He croaked, blinking in the darkness as his hand found tile beneath him.

"Currently," a boy growled from somewhere near him, "on top of me."

Dash scrambled away from where he sat, bumping into another person who squealed in fright-Paulina. Tucker, the boy Dash had been crushing, sat up and looked around in hopes of adjusting his eyes.

"I'm pretty sure…" He trailed off, squinting at the walls and lightless corridor before them.

"…we're at school." Sam finished, half-asking, half-stating. "All of us."

Tucker reached into his pocket and found his PDA, turning the screen on and pointing it in the direction of Sam's voice before flashing it over the rest of their group. "All except…Danny." He said somberly, lowering the light.

"What do you mean?" Maddie cried, having heard the statement and immediately going into panicked-mother mode.

"Danny-boy?" Jack asked at the mention of his son. "Danny-boy's not here?"

Sam's face dropped to the floor, her last memories resurfacing. _Vlad has Danny, and I don't know how._

Everyone silently pulled to their feet, Mr. Lancer fumbling along the wall for a light switch. A soft click struck the silence of the hallway, flickering on a set of lights embedded in the ceiling.

Each of the children and adults in the group looked around, taking in the late-night appearance of the vacant school. Maddie's eyes became desperate, spending only a moment on each of the spots and individuals in the corridor.

"Where's Danny!?" She cried, igniting worry in Jack, and guilt in Sam and Tucker.

Jack caught the averse gazes of Sam and Tucker, his eyes becoming curious. "Kids," he started, ensnaring the nervous attention of Sam and Tucker, "do you know where Danny is?"

They exchanged a glance, everyone falling immediately silent as the two looked back at Jack and nodded slowly.

"Wisconsin."

Maddie grasped Sam's shoulders, looking into the girl's eyes fearfully. "Wisconsin? Why Wisconsin!?"

Sam shied her eyes away from her best friend's mother, the woman's worry only swelling the guilt within her stomach. "That's where the ghost was keeping us-a mansion in Wisconsin."

"How did you-?" Lancer stuttered, surprised by this hidden knowledge.

Tucker glanced up at his teacher, a lie crossing his lips. "We found out that that ghost lives…near a mansion in Wisconsin a while ago by accident." Not entirely a lie, just a vague truth.

Maddie suddenly had a flicker of recognition, turning to her husband quickly. "Vlad! The ghost must have taken us to his evil lair underneath Vlad's mansion!"

"But why is Danny still there?" Valerie queried, stepping forward and turning the geek around. "Why didn't he come back with us?"

Sam looked to the ground, choosing to remain silent as Tucker answered with a simple shake of his head and an "I don't know".

Valerie released her grip, slipping back to the gathering group of A-listers.

"Hey we never got to ask!" Dash stated harshly, obviously referring to their interrupted attempt to confront Sam and Tucker about Plasmius.

"Yeah!" Paulina complained as she untangled her hair with her fingers. "We should like, make them tell us now."

Star nodded in agreement, pulling out her compact to touch up her make up.

"After they've been interrogated by Danny's parents?" Valerie asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "Shouldn't we wait?"

Dash exchanged a look with Kwan, who did the same with Paulina and Star. "No." Dash jeered bluntly.

"Let's ask now, I want to know." Kwan pressed, the overall vote of the group outweighing Valerie's preference.

The group turned and made their way to the two students who had segregated themselves while the worried parents discussed the situation with Lancer. Sam looked up, spotting the jock who headed off his posse, and jabbed her elbow into Tucker's ribs with a hiss. "Letter jackets and pompoms at nine o' clock."

Tucker and Sam steeled themselves for an array of insults and accusations for their kidnapping.

"Foley! Manson!" Dash growled, his click stopping in front of them as Valerie cast them an apologetic look. "We have some questions for you!"

"Yeah," Kwan stepped up as he continued with slightly less venom, "like how do you know this Plasmius ghost, especially where he lives?"

"And why do your parents call him 'the Wisconsin Ghost'?" Dash added, the two of them laying down the questions without hesitation.

Sam and Tucker raised their eyebrows, giving each other a startled sidelong glance that conveyed their obvious surprise at the popular kids' deduction. The group of five stared expectantly at the duo before them, eyeing them down with an intensity that _almost_ rivaled Sam's death glare.

"Ghost fighting," Tucker offered lamely, his statement almost sounding like a question.

"Yeah," Sam nodded, taking the idea and turning it into a good cover story, "Danny, Tucker, and I go ghost hunting sometimes…to lighten the load on other hunters," her eyes briefly connected with Valerie's who instantly looked away, "and we met Plasmius here in Amity Park."

"Danny's parents met him in Wisconsin at Mayor Masters' mansion." Tucker added with a confident nod.

The members of the click turned to one another, whispering conspiratorially as Valerie stepped forward.

"Then why did this ghost say Danny would be staying with him from now on? It almost sounded as if…Danny stayed willingly." She asked, her face growing grim at the realization of the last observation.

_Damn_, Sam thought, _Valerie is a lot sharper than the others. There's got to be something to cover this up!_

"Plasmius…was out for revenge, on Danny's parents…" Sam said, receiving confused glances, "and I guess he decided it was best to get it through Danny, their son." She sounded slightly unsure, a note that made Valerie's eyes narrow, though she didn't say anything.

"But don't we have to like, call the police?" Paulina cried, turning to Star, who nodded vigorously.

"We should!" The blonde squealed. "He kidnapped him!"

Sam and Tucker shifted uncomfortably, neither one sure what to do. Call the police? Attempt to save Danny and fight a very strong halfa on their own? Or…wait, hoping that their friend will be alright?

Sam finally decided, shaking her head. "The police of Amity Park can't search for Danny in another state, and any officer in Wisconsin will laugh at being told a boy was kidnapped by a ghost. No one will help us."

Valerie spoke up, following Sam's thoughts exactly. "Should we go ourselves then?"

"Yeah, we'll take the specter speeder and go through the Fenton portal." Tucker nodded, typing away on his PDA as if he was calculating something. "We'll need to borrow some ghost hunting weapons and gear."

"We're coming too!" Dash stated, the other A-listers backing him up with a nod.

Tucker, Sam, and Valerie stared at them for a moment, processing what they just said.

"No offense," Sam said, crossing her arms, "but you all _hate_ Danny. You've never been nice to him or any of us, and you have no experience with ghost hunting, yet _now_ you want to join us on our rescue mission _through _the Ghost Zone to _fight_ a ghost and to save _Danny_?"

The paused for a moment, their faces falling as Kwan crossed his arms. "Well, to be honest, you're right, but we're really confused and want to know what's going on here."

"Can't you all just go cower in a corner or something!?" Sam hissed as Tucker rested a calming hand on her shoulder. "Leave the rescuing to those of us who know what they're doing."

"Why can't we come along?" Dash asked, almost sounding hurt.

"Because you'll get in the way, and probably get us captured again!" Sam was getting increasingly agitated, and that was not something that typically ended well.

"Look," Dash shouted, though not loud enough to obstruct anyone else's conversation, "Fentoad is _my_ punching bag, and I ain't gonna let this ghost guy try and take my place!"

Sam raised a brow, seemingly calming down. "As twisted as your logic is, I guess I can tell that you don't _hate_ him, but that doesn't change things! How would any of you help us at all!? We're fighting ghosts!"

"We're on the football team!" Kwan pleaded. "That has to count for something!"

Tucker shrugged, "any of you know how to hack into a security system or drive an armed aircraft while you use said weapons to take out the ghost minions of a crazy guy?" Silence. "How about guns? Any of you know how to hold one, much less shoot it?" More silence. "You guys really need to play more MMORPGs."

Sam shot Tucker a tired glance, rewarding herself with a nervous chuckle from her friend. "So you guys are about as useful as a bucket with no bottom, but at least your large builds will make decent shields…"

Kwan and Dash exchanged worried glances as Paulina and Star strutted to the front of the A-listers.

"What about us?" Star demanded, receiving a disgusted look from Sam.

"We could probably use some distractions…" Valerie suggested, making Sam smirk evilly.

"Great idea," She said, nodding to Valerie. "Meet at the front of the school tomorrow, it's Saturday, so ditch whatever plans you had. Tucker and I will round up supplies at Danny's and set up a decoy to get his parents out of the house."

A mutual nod was shared throughout the group, a plan was made, and a rescue was set in motion.

* * *

Sam and Tucker rounded the corner, moving into a jog as they approached the school where two jocks, two cheerleaders, and Valerie stood in boredom. Dash looked up, noticing the other fraction of their party as they stepped onto the campus.

"What took you guys so long?" He complained, the others looking up to the two geeks who arrived.

"We had to secure the distraction." Sam smirked as Tucker held up the Fenton Thermos (mark 2)

Dash's brow furrowed as he looked the thermos over. "Where'd ya get that?"

"Yeah! Isn't that Phantom's?" Paulina hissed, her eyes narrowing on Sam.

Sam gave them an annoyed glance, "You do realize it's the _Fenton_ Thermos, right? In other words, it belongs to the Fenton's, and they made more than one."

They nodded, remembering that tidbit of information. Tucker waved them over and everyone followed him and Sam to Danny's house. Sam ushered the A-listers and Valerie around the side of the house to wait while she and Tucker distracted the elder Fenton's.

Tucker stood on the corner of the sidewalk, holding the thermos in a ready position as Sam ran up to the door. They exchanged a nod and Sam pressed the doorbell.

"Are they going to try and suck Fenton's parents into the thermos?" Dash asked in irritated confusion.

"They do know it only sucks up ghosts, right?" Star questioned, peeking around the corner with the rest of the group.

Mrs. Fenton answered the door, looking tired and worried. "Sam? What's wrong?"

"Mrs. Fenton!" She said, feigning fear with a professional tone. "It's a ghost! It's attacking Tucker and said something about knowing The Wisconsin Ghost!"

Maddie's eyes lit up as she pulled an ecto-gun out of her suit and let go of the door. "Jack! There's a ghost outside! It may know something about how to find Danny!"

Jack thundered up from the basement, armed and running for the ghost. "Ghost!" He shouted as he ran up to Maddie.

When the two leapt over the threshold of the house, Tucker clicked a button on the side of the thermos. A pale blue light shot out of the thermos as a ghost burst forth.

"BEWARE!" The ghost shouted as Tucker fell to the ground, cowering in fear as he casually hid the canister in his jacket. "I am the Box Ghost!" The ghost yelled, wiggling his fingers.

"There he is, Jack!" Maddie announced, pointing at the ghost before raising her weapon.

The two adults leapt at the specter, shooting as he feebly dodged while hollering about never being held captive in a "cylindrical device". Sam gestured to the jocks and cheerleaders, waving them into the house as Tucker snuck away from fight.

The gang of students ran down the stairs to the basement, immediately heading over to the specter speeder.

"Dash, Kwan, help Tucker get weapons from the locker!" Sam ordered, shoving the preppy girls and Valerie into the speeder and manning the helm.

The three boys returned, arms loaded with various ghost hunting weapons and devices that they passed out to the other members of their party before hastily fastening their seat belts. Sam turned the speeder to face the ghost portal, pressing an array of buttons and flipping a switch that turned them invisible as the portal doors slid open.

She floored the gas, driving them into the swirling green vortex that shifted into the Ghost Zone. Tucker pulled out a map from where he sat beside her, looking it over with the occasional glance outside to pinpoint their location.

Paulina and Dash screeched as a nameless ghost floated past them, the two A-listers clinging to each other desperately. Sam shot them a glare, forcing them into silence.

"Where exactly are we headed?" Valerie asked, realizing that their destination hadn't been fully disclosed.

"Plasmius' portal." Tucker stated, showing Valerie and the A-listers behind him the map. A red portal labeled "Plasmius' Portal" was drawn on the green-colored paper with great prominence.

"He has a portal? Like to Earth?" Star asked in concern, "Like the Fenton's?"

Tucker nodded, "And it's blocked by a giant football." He received a few questioning gazes, but ignored them, resuming his seat beside Sam. "Take a right here."

She obliged and he guided her through the realm, their presence unknown to any of its residents. Sam slid to a stop and looked at Tucker, her eyes swimming with impatience.

"Tucker! Did you get us lost?" She hissed venomously.

"No!" He cried, looking at the map and then out the windshield. "Ember's door is right there, and Skulker's island is right behind us! Look at the map, the portal should be right in front of us!"

Sam snatched the paper, mimicking her friend's previous actions to confirm the location. "Oh no!"

"What's wrong?" Valerie inquired, her own voice sounding worried.

"The portal!" Sam gasped. "It's gone! Plasmius did something to it!"

"Even the football's gone." Tuckered groaned. "What do we do now?"

Sam rolled the map up, throwing it at Tucker before grasping the wheel for the speeder. "I don't know."


	5. What Will the Future Bring?

**Hey everybody! Sorry for this being like what? 3 months late. I've been really busy with school and it took a little while to write this chapter, so here you go, and thanks for all your guys' favs and reviews. I really appreciate it!**

* * *

Danny stopped before the doors to Vlad's study, waiting with a solemn face as the maid opened the door. As he entered, he noted Vlad's silhouette in an armchair, his hand gracefully caressing a wine glass as he swirled the red liquid.

"Daniel."

The boy hesitantly stepped forward, stopping a fair distance from Vlad's right. The man stood, sparing the fireplace one last glance as he turned his head to Danny.

"You wanted to see me?" Danny said through clenched teeth as he forced his eyes to Vlad's, shuddering at the ominous glint that shadowed his dark blue gaze.

A smirk found its way to Vlad's lips, the fiery glimmer from the hearth casting a glow across his face and eyes. "Daniel, it's time you stop moping. I have returned your…companions, and we have a deal."

Danny's brow narrowed at the clang of his wine glass being set down. "We do…don't we?"

"You are at my mercy, Daniel. I don't have to take you under my wing."

"But you want to."

Vlad frowned, taking a passive step towards the boy. "Yes, Daniel, I _want_ to. But we both want things, don't we?"

Daniel's gaze wavered briefly, an entire town lay at the mercy of Vlad's blade, a blade that Danny held to their throats. One false move, and Danny would live while watching Amity park fall. "Yes…we do."

"It's good that we agree on something." Vlad refilled his glass and took a sip, turning back to the flames. "We can continue to agree on things, Daniel, and we can use that agreement to create something for ourselves."

"What do you mean?" Danny's brow furrowed, he had an idea where this was going.

"We are the only halfas in existence! That makes us a rare, and _strong_ exception to all that is real. We have control over our own life and death, changing between forms that are on either side of the line. We are two of a kind. We are powerful. We are _kings_." Vlad turned his head to Danny, an expression of wicked euphoria contorting his features.

Danny remained silent. Was Vlad suggesting that they vanquish Pariah Dark, and take over his throne above the entire Ghost Zone?

"Of course, the Ghost Zone will be a bit of a leap, with their strength and your lack of training, but the human world will be easy enough for us to take at this time."

"The human world? You want to take over the _Earth_?" The younger halfa asked, appalled at the thought.

Vlad's smirk only grew. "Daniel, there are two of us, and there are two worlds. We were _meant_ to rule above the weak, and crush the unworthy under our boot. I intend to take my rightful place, Daniel," he stood, slowly taking steps towards Danny as he refused to show any fear or hesitation in the man's eyes, "and _you_ will rule at my side."

The glint in Vlad's eyes made Danny stiffen, his muscles locked as he felt something tickle his neck, eliciting a shiver. Those royal blue eyes held his intentions, yes, but not all those intentions had been conveyed by words. This time, Danny did take a step back, the movement reflexive upon seeing that _change_ in his eyes.

The man took another step towards him, noting the shift in Danny's confidence. Danny had never noticed the wayward cloud in the man's eyes, how it darkened the already seemingly black hue of his irises. He had never felt so small in this man's wake. So helpless. So fearful.

Everything had changed so drastically for Danny, he went from his cocky everyday life, to standing before this man with everything he holds dear hanging by a thread and displayed in front of his fearful eyes. Danny didn't want to be responsible for thousands of deaths, for his family's deaths, for Sam's death, for Tucker's death. Danny didn't know what he could do to stop the inevitable future.

Danny Phantom would _fall_.

"I see you're finally understanding." Vlad's smirk took on a sick undertone, the implications of which, forced another shudder down the young halfa's spine.

Danny still couldn't speak, his throat feeling thick and his mouth feeling numb.

"We'll have to do something about your clothes. I can't have you wandering around in bloodied tatters." Vlad's eyes roamed Danny's form, rendering the boy paralyzed. "I've had a new set brought to your room, go clean yourself up and change."

Danny watched the man return to his seat, wasting only a moment before he made his way towards the door.

"And Daniel?"

Danny froze, precariously turning to face the man's sadistic smirk.

"Don't try being the hero, it's not going to help you anymore."

With a stiff, still-shocked stare, the young halfa continued on his way.

Danny stood, staring himself down in front of the mirror. He raised the towel to his face, cleansing the dried blood and cuts from the other day. He couldn't help but hope there would be a way out of this deal, but if he got out of this deal, then the people caught between him and Vlad, would not.

Danny was never good at anything, so that's why he took such pride in being a good protector. And being the protector that he was, he'd never put himself above the lives of many. So if saving the town meant subjecting himself to Vlad's wayward plans, he'd do it without hesitation. To him, the people were the only reason he had to consider himself good, the only thing to part him from Vlad.

But did the people see him that way? Few did, and after everything Vlad will make him do, will anyone be left to see him with a cape? Or will they only see a monstrous ghost out to conquer the town? When have they ever seen the difference? They never knew that he was a human too, a person defending the people from behind the façade of a ghost in silver and black. Would the citizens of Amity Park see him differently if they knew that he was half human? That he nearly died to protect him every day? That he lost his humanity to the very ones who gave it to him?

Would they see him any different with green eyes than _red ones_?

His alternative self had said Danny would never escape their future. What if allying himself with Vlad was the other path to that future? He would be the bane of the people, and Vlad will revel in his newfound weapon to govern humans and ghosts alike. He'll be the executioner they all had seen him as.

Vlad would train Danny to turn his powers against their purpose, warping his mind further in the process of being manipulated by his puppeteer. He had no doubts that his green ecto-blasts would become pink like Vlad's, but they were still green for Dan. Does that mean there was even an ounce of hope, of good or heroism, in Dan? Was he still salvageable from his corrupted mindset?

Danny's eyes flashed up to his reflection, hope spinning in his blue irises as he recalled the alternate timeline.

Vlad didn't have green energy, he was one of the few that had pink or red colored energy. Did that mean anything? Did that mean that Danny Phantom would never truly fall?

Danny pulled on his new clothes, a change he hadn't expected. His usual t-shirt and jeans was now a plain white long sleeved shirt, with a black hooded vest and black pants not dissimilar to the originals. He stared at himself in the mirror, unaccustomed to the vast difference. Except it wasn't that much of a difference, was it? It was colored just like his jumpsuit, just like his trademark colors.

That's when his eyes caught the other article of clothing that had been at the bottom of the stack, hidden from his view. The young halfa picked it up, letting the slick, black material cascade out of its compressed, folded form. It was a suit, almost identical to his usual Danny Phantom suit, but was a solid black with only his silver DP logo.

Why was Vlad changing his suit? What could that possibly do for him? Danny grimaced at the offending piece of fabric, clutching it in disdain. Vlad was just rubbing his victory in Danny's face, proving that he pulled all the strings now. He would wear the clothes only because he had none, but he would not wear the suit. Danny Phantom will not fall in another's colors. If he was doomed to destroy what he had strived to protect, then he would do it bearing his own flag. The people had the right to know that Danny was the one responsible for this, and he did it of his own free will.

Even if he was blackmailed, even if they never knew what he did to save his friends, Danny would still want them to know that he accepted their hate for what he was going to be forced to do. The people who once loved him would raise their weapons, and the ones that had always hated him would use this to fuel their rage. Danny could only hope that he could prevent this chaos, though it seemed to be an inevitable outcome.

The suit will remain the same.

_But will Vlad?_ A small voice in the back of his head spoke, sounding timid and hesitant. Vlad had always planned to do things like this, but how would he be when he had all this power? He already seemed…different. Was this what it meant to be drunk with power and madness?

_The look…His eyes were not corrupt with madness, they were clear. Clear with an ocean of intentions._ Yes, Vlad had another thing hidden in those eyes-something that made even Danny's core shiver. Vlad had sealed the deal with Danny, but now what? What was he going to do next to achieve control of everyone? Why had he been so dead-set on conquering Danny and forcing his allegiance? Both of the halfas knew that Vlad was stronger, so what threat did Danny pose to _Vlad_?

What did Vlad want with him?

Why did Vlad need a pawn to check the pieces he could have crushed under his boot?


	6. As if We Were Strangers

**I cannot apologize enough for how long it's been since my last update! I am incredibly sorry and I plan to work some more on this story before my break ends! I'll include a previously for you guys so you don't have to reread if you don't want to.**

**Also, thank you so much for each and every one of your guys' reviews! I love the feedback and ideas you guys are suggesting, so please do keep it up!**

**Enjoy (I'm sorry again for the lateness, at least the last chapter wasn't really a cliffhanger)**

* * *

**Previously:**

It started with a field trip to the Mayor's mansion in Amity Park, which did not end well when Plasmius appeared and took Danny and his class hostage. Vlad then took them to his other mansion in Wisconsin and he tried, once again, to get Danny to join him. Danny said said "no", and when Vlad suggested it again, he pointed out the predicament of the others. Danny reluctantly accepted and Vlad sent the other back to Amity Park, where they woke up in the school. While Sam and Tucker, joined by the A-listers, went to go into the Wisconsin mansion via the Ghost Zone, Danny realized there was no chance of escaping and keeping the people of Amity Park alive. Danny wondered what Vlad really had planned, and hypothesized the idea of Phantom's fall from heroics. And now, after their first failed attempt, the other two members of team Phantom are trying another plan.

* * *

Sam and Tucker had been waiting for an hour before it was time to put the next plan into action. Tucker looked at his PDA, nodding to Sam to confirm the time was ten 'til six. The Mayor's office closed at six 'o clock, so they had to get inside and wait until it closed before investigating.

The two hopped up and entered the building, glad that the receptionist was not behind her desk as usual. Sam led the way to Vlad's office, observing the rest of the building in an attempt to find any other clues to his and Danny's whereabouts. They quickly reached the office, immediately dodging in and shutting the door before beginning the search.

They sank into inconspicuous hiding places and patiently waited. Soon, a PA announcement stated that the office was now closing and that all guests should leave. They waited another long and anxious ten minutes before lights were shut off and the building seemed to fall completely silent.

"You look in the cupboards and bookshelves, I'll take the desk," Sam stated, already opening drawers and sifting through the Mayor's belongings.

Tucker started with the cupboards, but found nothing more than a few stacks of unimportant documents that had nothing to do with Danny. He moved to the bookshelves, casting a momentary glance at Sam, who, judging by her expression, had had no luck either.

"There's nothing in here!" She whispered harshly, throwing a handful of papers back into a drawer.

"What do we do now?" Tucker asked, shoving a book back into its place on the shelf.

Sam sighed, straightening the desk back to how it was originally, "We leave, there's nothing more we can find here, so we need to get out before we're caught."

Tucker nodded removing his PDA and hacking the security system to shut down the cameras and alarms on the exits. They moved quickly, making sure not to waste time, or the security guards might notice something was up.

Once the two had left the building and gotten a safe distance away, they slowed to a walk.

"What are we going to do next? The crazy fruitloop was too cautious enough to leave any evidence around!" Tucker said, throwing his hands in the air.

Sam shook her head as she thought. "The entrance to the mansion is sealed, at least from the Ghost Zone's view, and they're both nowhere in sight. I'm assuming the mansion itself is gone-or maybe just hidden?"

Tucker stopped walking, a thought crossing his mind. "You're right; it's probably just hidden or something! I hate to admit it, but Vlad is smart enough to design something of that scale."

"But how do we get in if the thing is invisible!?"

"I'll hack the system of the computer on his desk, and we might find that out." Tucker continued as the two of them rounded a corner, hoping to figure out another plan.

"What should we do about Dash and the others? They're getting more involved in this than I ever expected. What if they find out Danny's secret?" Sam asked, casting Tucker a worried look.

"Let's leave them out of it unless things get too hard for us to do alone."

"Alright."

A shrill ringing broke through the quiet veil of the night, startling the two teens. Sam and Tucker looked up, seeing the flashing of the nearby bank's alarms. They were so surprised that it didn't even cross their minds to run or hide.

The thought did, however, occur to them upon sighting a gang of men dash from the bank.

Most of the robbers ran through the doors, while one or two leapt through the windows, rolling to their feet in the now shattered remains that lay ajar on the street. One of those men spotted Sam and Tucker before they had even moved a foot.

"You! Hands in the air!" He shouted, pointing what appeared to be a semi-automatic at them.

Holding up their hands, they cast each other a look of fear. Things like this never happened with Danny around.

"Hey! What's in your hand!?" He growled, pointing his gun more in Tucker's direction.

Tucker glanced up, remembering his PDA. "It's a-"

"He's got a phone!" Another one yelled as sirens became apparent.

The town was small, so the sirens were close-really close.

"Shoot him! He called the cops!"

The ringleader gave a panicked glance around the streets, noticing the glow of red and blue lights in the darkness. Just as he was about to shout a command, two police cruisers swung around the corner and drifted to a stop behind Sam and Tucker.

"Drop your weapons and put your hands in the air!" A policeman shouted, propping his gun on the top of his door as his comrades did the same.

Sam closed her eyes, trying to calm her racing heart as it drowned out almost every sound around her. _Please don't shoot us. Do as the cops say, please!_

She heard Tucker gasp beside her, and fearing the worst, opened her eyes and turned her head abruptly. But Tucker hadn't been shot. He was staring at the sky with a combination of shock and relief. Sam followed his gaze, eyes widening at the sight of Phantom above them.

He narrowed his green eyes at the robbers, then raised a hand in the direction of the one right in front of Sam and Tucker. Green ectoplasmic energy swirled in his palm before firing.

The two teens covered the faces upon the explosion, ducking to the ground. Sam felt tears of relief building up in her eyes, and even if Tucker didn't want to admit it, he was probably crying too.

They looked up and froze. The robber with the gun was still standing, unharmed with his weapon pointed at the police. He sneered at the cops before he and his accomplices opened fire.

As Tucker and Sam dove out of the way, they looked back at the cruisers in shock. The policeman that had earlier shouted orders for the robbers' surrender was laying on the ground with an ectoplasmic welt drilled into his shoulder. The man began crawling away, trying to avoid the crossfire as bullets whipped through the air.

Sam and Tucker found themselves looking up at Danny, who continued to fire on the police. Upon further speculation, the two noticed his change in uniform, something that simply seemed to give a darker connotation to the hero's name.

There was a slow in the gunfire as the robbers took off in Danny's direction, away from the police. Few cops remained, still firing at the gang that was escaping. Danny shot in the direction of the policemen, blowing up an unoccupied cruiser before fleeing.

Sam stumbled to her feet, chasing after Danny as Tucker messily followed. "Danny! Danny!"

When they had cleared a few blocks, Phantom swung around glaring down at his friends.

"Danny, why are you doing this!?" Sam called, receiving no answer with his narrowed green gaze.

"Did Vlad do something to you!? Why is he making you do this!?" Tucker called as he came to a stop beside Sam. "We can help! Tell us how to get into the mansion or how to find it!"

Again, Danny remained silent.

"We can get you out of him, just come with us!" Tucker pleaded, his eyes connecting with Danny's now harsh gaze.

Danny raised a hand and didn't hesitate a moment. His ectoplasmic energy hit Tucker's leg, flinging the boy to the ground and allowing Danny his escape.

Sam slid to Tucker's side, looking at the wound briefly before her eyes followed Danny's figure into the darkness.

* * *

**Alright, guys, I am hoping to update you with another chapter (or maybe two, keep your fingers crossed) before too long! Thank you, and I'm sorry again!**


	7. Incentive

**Hello again, everyone! I really did hope to have this chapter out before at least Christmas, but I had a bit of a Netflix problem. I probably need an intervention, but that's okay. I'll live.**

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Danny strode down the hallway to Vlad's study. He'd done what was asked of him, and he didn't say a word to Sam and Tucker. That had been the hardest part of what Vlad had asked. Yes, he didn't want to commit crimes, but hurting Tucker and not giving either of them an explanation-they must think he's evil. After all, who attacks their best friend?

Pushing the chestnut door open, Danny stepped in. He found his anger-fueled confidence dwindling at the sight of Vlad.

"Vlad," Danny stated, his voice almost shaking.

The older halfa stood, turning to face his apprentice with an approving grin. "You did well, Little Badger."

"I don't want your praise. You know that."

"Then what _do_ you want, Daniel?" Vlad took a few steps closer to the boy, the motion not going unnoticed.

"I…" He paused, eyes shifting from the other halfa's feet to his eyes, "I want this to end. I'm sick of your games, Vlad!"

Vlad raised an eyebrow as he picked up his glass of wine. "You want it to end, do you?"

"I refuse to hurt anyone, especially Sam and Tucker!"

Vlad slowly advanced a few more steps, never taking his eyes off the door behind Danny. The younger of the two held his breath, trying to abate the nerves he developed from the man's pointed gaze. Vlad's eyes slowly turned down to look into Danny's, his expression unreadable.

"We've come this far, and you think I'll simply let you walk free?" The man's voice turned cold, tinted with something indistinguishable between sadism and calculated rage.

Danny remained silent, trying to will himself to respond, or maybe punch the older halfa.

"Do you misunderstand the term 'blackmail'?" Vlad stepped closer, seemingly oblivious to his own actions

Danny's eyes shifted to the man's feet, caution flashing in his gaze.

Vlad looked down, his face closer than Danny had realized. "I wouldn't advise rallying yourself against me, Daniel."

"Why? Are you going to have a heart attack?" Danny wasn't sure why he was acting so defiant; after all, the man had plenty over his head to get whatever he wanted.

Vlad frowned, a minute glimmer of anger in his eyes. "You're trying my patience, Daniel."

"Am I? Well, maybe you should have considered that when you had me rob a _bank_!"

The back of a hand struck Danny's cheek, shocking the boy into silence. The younger halfa stared to the side in pure astonishment. _Vlad got angry that quickly?_

"Do not raise your voice to me," Vlad hissed, malice tainting his words.

"You _are not_ my father," Danny spat, turning his head back to the man only to have a hand clasped around his throat.

Vlad leaned in close, whispering in his captive's ear, "I pull all the strings here, and that means I can be _whatever_ I want to be."

Danny shivered, almost certain he'd felt the touch of a tongue across his ear.

"You have no say in _anything_ that I do, and I hold no interest in your complaints. Therefore, I suggest that you bite your tongue before you say something you may regret." The tone of Vlad's voice was apparent; he was angry, yes, but he was also enjoying the prospect of taunting Danny.

The younger halfa tried to force Vlad's hands from his neck, futilely struggling. "You can't hold my friends and family above me anymore! They're safe!"

At this, the man laughed, keeping his hand on the boy's neck. "Did you really think I was too stupid to think of that? They are being followed, watched. I am ready at any moment to have them killed, Daniel."

Danny paled, his eyes betraying fear. "You wouldn't."

"So long as you do what I tell you to."

Danny shook the fear from his eyes, enraged. "I am not your pawn! You can't just trick people into doing your dirty work, and you can't threaten innocent people!"

"I _can_, and I _will_," Vlad shouted back, his tone reaching a higher level of impatience than before.

The younger halfa struggled against his grip, stopping briefly to spit in his face.

Vlad drew back immediately, sneering at his prisoner with a burning vengeance. "You damn boy!"

He grabbed the collar of Danny's jumpsuit, throwing him down to the floor without a second's hesitation. The boy winced at the impact, briefly remaining on the floor before beginning to pull himself up. Vlad pressed a shoe to his shoulder, keeping him pinned on the ground.

"Listen here, Daniel. I hold something of yours yet. Do not risk your plan before knowing about the ace up my sleeve."

"What…are you talking about?" Danny grunted, still attempting to free his arm.

The man's teeth glistened through his pompous grin. "Oh? Would you like to see?"

Danny's brow furrowed. _What could he possibly have here?_

Vlad grasped Danny's arm, pulling him to his feet. The former tugged his captive along, bringing him to a door. Said door led to a staircase that wound down to another area of the basement. This area, Danny noted, was one he hadn't seen before and hadn't even known about from previous excursions to the mansion.

Danny stumbled beside the older halfa, observing their new location. The walls were white, standing solidly against the pale gray floor and the upcoming silver door. If anything, the place resembled a sterile hospital. Danny's suspicions were confirmed upon entering the room.

It was a lab, different from Vlad's usual one for ghost related purposes. This one did have some of these aspects, but overall seemed to be centered on the purposes of _human_ experimentation.

What drew Danny's attention the most was probably the wall of cells for larger creatures. It had six smaller cells, enough to fit one human each, and not comfortably. Vlad ushered Danny towards one of the farthest cells, pushing him up to the little window that was covered by bars. At first, Danny wasn't sure what he was supposed to be looking at, but then, upon a closer look, he noticed that there was a person in there.

It took only a moment longer before Danny realized who that was. "Dani!"

"That's right, Daniel. I have a few halfa-related experiments I'd like to test on her, and I will…if you don't cooperate," Vlad whispered, his mouth placed threateningly beside Danny's ear.

This revelation shook Danny to the core; how was he supposed to escape the plans laid out for him when that meant leaving Dani in his place. After all, what could he achieve that she couldn't?

"So what else do you have to say to me?" Vlad hissed, pressing Danny's face into the wall beside the door.

"Nothing."

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**Thanks for reading! Review if you feel like it, and let's hope I manage to get the next chapter out before too long.**


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